Kept Waiting
by vivaforever597
Summary: Bolin's late, and Korra's mad - and she only gets more upset when the airbenders try to talk her down.


Korra stared out her window, glowering at the night. "Where is he?" she muttered frustratedly.

"Is Bolin late?" asked a singsong voice behind her. Korra spun around to see Ikki standing in the bedroom doorway, smiling with her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"Well, he – I – it's – it doesn't matter!" Korra sputtered, pushing past Ikki into the hallway, only to find Jinora coming toward her.

"It's so romantic," Jinora breathed. "The boy is only a few minutes late, and the girl's so full of love for him that she can't bear to wait!"

Korra turned on her heel to glare at the two sisters, whose faces were rapt as they unabashedly stared at her. "Look, I'm not a girl from a dumb story," she insisted. "Bolin said he'd be here by now, and I don't like wasting time!"

Jinora clutched her arms in front of her. "She's trying to pretend that she's not consumed with love!" she murmured to herself.

"I am not pretending anything!" Korra exclaimed. She again pivoted on her heel, then marched to the temple's main room with a frown. There, she found Tenzin sitting at the table with a calm, contemplative expression. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"I would suggest you calm yourself," he said without opening his eyes. "It does not behoove the Avatar to go around so visibly upset."

Korra grimaced and sat across from him, fidgeting under the table. "I'm not just the Avatar, Tenzin," she protested. "I just want to go out with my boyfriend. I'm a person too, you know, with my _own_ needs." Tenzin made no acknowledgment. "Like Pema. Or your mother," she pushed.

Tenzin's eyes snapped open. "Don't bring my mother into this," he warned.

Korra scowled and slumped in her chair. "Why not? Your father was my predecessor. Master Katara is probaby the only one who knows what it's like for Bolin and me."

Tenzin grunted. "I suppose so."

They sat silently for several moments, Tenzin losing himself in his reflections while Korra continued to fidget and let her eyes wander around the room, as if she hadn't seen all of its details many times before. Eventually, she returned her gaze to Tenzin. "You do this every day? This quiet reflection thing?" she whispered.

"Of course," he said matter-of-factly. "You could at least try to do the same, Korra. You did manage to begin airbending, but I still believe you would improve if you took the time to find some quiet."

"I don't have the patience," Korra replied.

Tenzin sighed. "I know."

Korra squirmed in her seat. "And I'm not patient when I'm waiting for someone, either!" she cried.

"That won't make him come any faster," Tenzin chided.

Unluckily for his argument, there was at that moment a loud knock, and Bolin pressed his face against the window to peer in. "The universe must be determined to prove me wrong," Tenzin muttered as Korra ran to the door.

"Bye, Tenzin!" she shouted over her shoulder, caring nothing for maintaining the room's peacefulness. She slammed the door behind her, rattling the walls.

"Hi!" Bolin greeted her, smiling as he held out a single cut flower for her.

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're late," she said, her tone accusatory.

He looked flustered. "I'm really sorry. There was a traffic jam, and I —" He broke off with a giggle.

"What is it?" Korra asked, equally curious and irritated.

"You look angry," Bolin observed cautiously.

"I am angry!"

"But you're so..." He tried to decide how best to explain his amusement without offending her. "Vertically... challenged."

Korra's eyes grew wide and fiery as she rose to her tiptoes. "You're saying it's funny I'm short?" she demanded.

Bolin stepped back, suddenly afraid of her. "No, no!" he said, waving his hands in front of him. "Only that you're not very intimidating. I mean, you can be intimidating! It's just..." He struggled to come up with a way to calm her down.

"You'll have to pay for that," she said threateningly. She drew in a breath, then airbent her feet off the ground to lift herself to Bolin's height. She flew closer to him, enjoying the flicker of fear in his expression. Then she watched it fade away as she tucked her hand behind his head and kissed him.

"Does this mean you're not mad anymore?" he asked sweetly as she dropped back to the ground.

"Oh, I'm still mad," she replied. "But I'm willing to forgive you."

Bolin wrapped her in a tight hug. "Well, that's good to know."


End file.
